Wednesday, 01 December 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
By taking a decision to repeal the contentious Char Dham Devasthanam Management board, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government has deprived the opposition Congress party of a major electoral issue. The Uttarakhand Congress was at the forefront of the opposition ever since the then Trivendra Singh Rawat government tabled the bill during the winter session of the Uttarakhand assembly in the year 2019. At that time the opposition leaders led by the Kedarnath MLA Manoj Rawat had vehemently opposed the bill and termed it draconian and the one which is against the sacred traditions of the Dhams. In the Monsoon session of the assembly Rawat had even brought a private member bill on the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board. Coming out openly in support of the agitated Teerth Purohits and the stake holders, the former chief minister and in charge of the campaign committee of the Uttarakhand Congress and other senior leaders had promised that the act would be repealed in the very first cabinet meeting when the Congress party comes to the power. The Congress had even devised its election strategy around the contentious bill and was hoping that by raising the issue forcefully it would be able to garner the sympathy of Teerth Purohits and would be able to secure the votes of Brahmin community in the state. However by deciding to make a roll back on the subject CM Dhami has deprived Congress party of one of a major issue for the upcoming assembly election.
Meanwhile celebrations were held in the headquarters of the Uttarakhand Congress on Tuesday after state government decided to roll back the act. The Vice President of state Congress, Surya Kant Dhasmana said that the arrogant state government was forced to do a roll back the act due to the vehement opposition of the Teerth Purohits and the Congress party. He said that the Congress party stood firmly with the Teerth Purohits on the issue from the very first day.
BJP govt forced to take back the Char Dham Board- K’nath MLA
Terming the decision of state government to repeal the Char Dham Devasthanam Management Board as a victory of the strong protest by the Teerth Purohits and Congress party, Kedarnath MLA Manoj Rawat has said that the decision has been taken under political compulsion. He said that the Congress party was opposing the act ever since it was tabled in the assembly because the government was planning to wrest control of the temples in order to run government on the money of temples.
Rawat who played a key role in opposing the bill when it was tabled and who brought a private member bill on the issue, said the government should have sent the bill to the standing committee of the assembly but it appears that the arrogant governments of the BJP have made it a habit to first get the laws passed in an undemocratic manner and then do a roll back on them. Rawat said that the BJP and its leaders have made a laughing stock of themselves on the issue as the ministers such as Satpal Maharaj and Subodh Uniyal who did a strong advocacy of the bill when it was tabled did a volt face and have now found shortcoming in the act.
